Biochar-Enhanced Biofertilizers 🌱

A precision solution to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), enhance soil function, and enable scalable regenerative agriculture.

In Thailand and across Southeast Asia, the majority of smallholder farmers rely on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers to achieve yield targets. These inputs play a critical role in food security, yet they contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions — particularly N₂O (nitrous oxide), which is nearly 300x more potent than CO₂.

At Happy Ground, we are not seeking to eliminate synthetic inputs overnight. Instead, our goal is to enhance fertilization efficiency and support a gradual, measurable reduction in nitrogen dependency — starting with improved soil function through biochar-enhanced biofertilizers.

Our On-going Research

Sugarcane

Rice

Rubber

Durian

Veggies

Oil Palm

Cacao

Coffee

Coconut

🧪 Why Biochar in Fertilizer?

Biochar is a stable, carbon-rich material derived from the pyrolysis of agricultural residues. When incorporated into fertilizer formulations, it provides multiple agronomic and environmental benefits:

Improved nitrogen retention through physical and chemical sorption
Reduced N loss via leaching, volatilization, and denitrification
Increased cation exchange capacity (CEC) for better nutrient holding
Enhanced soil structure, porosity, and microbial activity
Support for long-term soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation
Contribution to insetting or carbon dioxide removal (CDR) accounting under Scope 3

These properties make biochar an ideal carrier for nutrients — particularly nitrogen — in fertilizer blends targeted toward improving NUE and reducing environmental loss pathways.

🔬 Product Development Strategy

Our biofertilizer is being co-developed with field agronomists and smallholder farmer networks to ensure it meets both biophysical and socioeconomic criteria for adoption.

We focus on:

Site-specific blends based on crop type, soil profile, and agroecological zone
Application methods that integrate with existing farmer practices
Usability across both irrigated and rainfed systems
Field validation through controlled trials and farmer-participatory research